Alternative Transmission for Early V8?

Great question! I always thought that since a Chrysler Automatic fits, then perhaps a Chrysler manual bell housing would therefore fit also? Allowing the use of a manual trans then?
There was a guy who build a special, and he fabricated a bellhousing to suit. Maybe by chopping off the bell housing area of the Chrysler Automatic?
I'm all ears on this one, as I have an '80 QPIII drive train that I would like to convert to a manual trans.

Thanks, RF.

 

It can be done -- but I don't expect you'll find a bolt-on kit.

Start be selecting a transmission. This will give you an idea of what you can have and what the concerns are for interface between your engine and trans. In Europe or elsewhere, I don't know what your transmission options might be. If you are in the USA, look at Richmond Gear and Tremec.

One route might be:
. Select a transmission. Be sure that the input shaft nose is small enough to fit in the engine's crank (or flywheel) hole.
. Select a clutch that will fit your existing flywheel and new trans.
. Modify the flywheel to accept the new clutch mechanism.
. Fab a new pilot bearing to fit the trans input shaft into the engine crank or flywheel.
. Fabricate a new bellhousing to correctly position the trans to the engine. Consider also the clutch actuator, how it will fit in the engine/trans assembly and in your car.

So you've got your work cut out for you.

I advise that you keep looking for the ZF trans that belongs there. (An added benefit is you won't be shamed by the "all original" Euro guys on this forum.)

 

On my 1975 Khamsin (long gone), the automatic trans was a small case Ford Cruise-O-Matic. The "bellhousing" part would have been made specifically to mate the American trans to the Italian engine. So, no. Not a standard bellhousing.

(As an aside, I thought about a swap to 5 sped manual as the OP proposes but I never got to it.)